A classic pasta sauce that is a favourite among everyone from young to old.
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Creamy, cheesy pasta is my absolute favourite kind of pasta. I could have it every night of the week!

This is my go-to sauce whenever I’m making pasta. Even if I’m making a red sauce, I like to add a bit of this bechamel or white sauce as well to give it a beautiful creaminess. It’s a favourite among everyone at home from old to young.

What is a Bechamel Sauce?

Bechamel is a classic French sauce that is used as a base for various dishes such as souffles and many other sauces. It is made by cooking flour and butter together and then incorporating milk. It is also called besciamella, besamel, or white sauce.

Some recipes for bechamel require infusing the milk with onion and cloves and adding nutmeg, but here I’m showing you the most basic recipe. This is how I like to make it, especially for adding into pasta.

Toddler-Friendly

This is one of those dishes that I know my toddler will enjoy, so it is always saved as a backup for when there’s nothing for dinner or for when he is having a big fuss about dinner. I used to make it for him even when he was a baby, barring adding the salt. Mixed in with some whole wheat or vegetable-based pasta, it would make a yummy and healthy dinner that he would happily eat.

Freezer-Safe

Whenever I make some of this bechamel, I end up making extra to freeze. It stays perfectly fresh for a long time, so when I need to make a quick dinner or breakfast, I just boil some pasta and add the pre-made sauce in. Just make sure to thaw properly (a microwave helps when you need to make it in a jiffy) and bring it back up to temperature because it can look kind of split when it is cold from the freezer.

What are the ingredients needed to make Creamy Pasta Sauce?
  • 3 tbsp (45g) butter (or margarine)
  • 3 tbsp all-purpose flour/maida,
  • 2 cups whole milk,
  • Salt,
  • Pepper,
  • 1/2 cup cheese (optional)
How to make Bechamel Sauce?

This classic French sauce starts with a technique called making a roux. Essentially, it means to cook some flour out in fat – in this case, butter – which is then used to thicken whatever it is added into (soups, gravies, sauces, etc.).

Once the flour has been cooked in the melted butter, we start adding milk a little bit at a time, whisking constantly. Once all the milk has been incorporated, the sauce boils and thickens. Then all thats left to do is season it and take it off the heat.

See more tips and details in the notes below.

What to Serve with Bechamel Sauce Pasta?

This pasta sauce is so good you could just boil some pasta and add mix it through, but I like to saute some onions and peppers in garlic and butter to mix in as well. I also add other veggies like mushrooms and tomatoes or chicken or sausages as well. Sometimes, I also make a red sauce or a roasted veggie pasta sauce to combine with bechamel pasta.

Watch me make white pasta sauce in the video below:

Here’s the step-by-step guide to making béchamel at home:

Bechamel Sauce Recipe

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 15 min

Serves: 2-3

Step 1: Make the bechamel.

  • 3 tbsp (45g) butter (or margarine)
  • 3 tbsp all-purpose flour/maida,
  • 2 cups whole milk,
  • Salt,
  • Pepper
  1. On a pan over medium heat, melt butter and add the flour.
  2. Cook, whisking, until a lumpy mixture forms, about 1-2 minutes. You don’t want it to brown much, just for the raw smell of the flour to go away.
  3. Start adding the milk in a slow stream, whisking constantly to avoid lumps.
  4. Once all the milk has been incorporated, simmer the sauce and cook the mixture until it thickens slightly. Keep whisking frequently to prevent lumps.
    Tip: if you dip a spoon into it and then run your finger down the back of it, the sauce that coats the spoon will stay separated.
  5. Add salt and pepper to taste. Take off the heat and mix into cooked pasta.

Optional Step: Add cheese.

  • 1/2 cup cheese, grated
  1. Add the cheese in before taking the sauce off the heat and stir until it melts.

Notes

– You can use any type of melty cheese. You can use more or less or even none at all.
– This sauce is enough for about half a pack of pasta, depending on how creamy you like it to be. I would suggest adding the sauce little by little to your cooked pasta until you are satisfied.
– If you have any leftovers, you can freeze it for another time.
– Have some of the pasta cooking water on hand in case you need to thin the sauce out later as it thickens a lot while it cools.
– You can sauté some garlic in the butter before adding the flour for extra flavour. Since I usually sautée veggies/meat separately to add it to the dish, I do not do that.

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Have you made this recipe? I would love to hear your feedback in the comments below! I would also love to hear your thoughts, questions, or doubts.

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